Teen Talent Radio
by practicalamanda
Summary: 1950s!Klaine AU. Kurt is Blaine's favorite star from the Teen Talent Radio program. What happens when Blaine goes to an open casting call. One shot for now, but there's potential for more. Slight inspiration from Hairspray, but it takes place about a decade earlier.
1. Chapter 1

**So this will either be a one shot or a two shot. If you guys want it, I'll write more in the verse and complete their night on the town, but if not, here's it is! This is a one shot for the fantastic NurseKate, although it strays so far from her original prompt, that I feel a little guilty. I hope you all enjoy anyway.**

**Disclaimer: I did enough research for this story that I feel very pleased to have learned so much, but not enough that you should take anything I've written as fact. I also took some liberties with how I feel Kurt might grow up in a society like this. I think that in some ways, Kurt feeds off of attention. If he was a big Ohio star, I think he would probably be a lot more confident than we see him early on in the show. Slight inspiration from _Hairspray_, but it takes place about a decade earlier.**

It was hot in Blaine's room. So hot, that all he wanted to do was lie, spread eagle, on his bed, close his eyes, and listen to the radio. Blaine typically preferred to listen to his records, but once a week, when radio Cleveland had their _Teen Talent _hour, (hosted by Cleveland's finest teen talent himself, Kurt Hummel) he would tune in faithfully to listen to the voice that could only belong to an angel in human form.

Blaine sighed, he knew his thoughts were unnatural, that he shouldn't be thinking of another boy like that, but he was seventeen years old and if he had learned one thing in those seventeen years, it was that there was no use forcing the matter. He had already resigned himself to the fact that he would need to get over himself and find a girl that he loved like a friend and start a family one day, but for now, he was free to fantasize about Cleveland's hottest young star. No one needed to know...well no one besides his best friend that is.

"I know that smile," Tina said, barging into his room without knocking. Ordinarily, they would never be allowed to be in his bedroom together, but Blaine was raised by a single father who was still at work. Only the two of them knew how much it didn't matter. "Kurt Hummel must be on. Gosh...is it hot in here, or is it just him," she joked.

Blaine shushed her as a reflex even though the radio was on commercial and there was no one in the house to hear her. Tina and Blaine had been friends since childhood. Blaine has planned to take his secret to the grave, but two years ago he had been peer pressured into taking Tina out on a date to the drive in. Blaine has tried. He really tried, but about 30 seconds into their kissing he had started crying almost spontaneously and he ended up confessing the whole thing. She had been shocked at first and told Blaine to take her home. He was terrified she would tell someone, but a week later, she had asked him to meet her at the pharmacy for a coke and she told him that she would be his friend no matter what, and that she would keep his secret. Blaine was so happy that he treated her to an ice cream soda with two straws. If the other people in the shop thought they were sweethearts, then so be it.

Blaine let out a huff, "It's boiling," he replied. "I can't believe it's only June and it's this hot. Can you imagine what it's going to be like in August? I can't believe my father decided I was too old to wear short pants. This summer is going to be terrible," Blaine said, tugging at the collar of his shirt.

Tina was about to reply, but Blaine shushed her again when the radio program came back on, _"Head's up guys and gals! Do you want to be on the most radioactive show on the air? This is your chance! Warm up those pipes and hit the gas to our studio in Cleveland to be the next hot shot on _Teen Talent_. No squares aloud if you want to Razz my Berries. Stay tuned for more details. For now this is Radio Cleveland and I'm Kurt Hummel. Until next week, Ohio."_

"Don't say it, Tina," Blaine said, before any words could leave his best friend's mouth. "I can practically hear your brain formulating an idea and the answer is no."

"Blaine!" Tina replied indignantly. "I didn't even say anything and even if I had, why are you rejecting me so quickly? You have an amazing voice. Everyone thinks so!"

"Everyone in _Akron_ thinks so, but I'm small fries compared to someone like Kurt Hummel," Blaine protested.

"Even if that were true, and I'm not saying that it is, you don't have to be better than Kurt. He's the star. You just have to be better than the other kids trying out for the show," Tina urged.

"Yeah, okay, I'll do that," Blaine snorted. "Why don't _you_ try out for that matter?" Blaine asked, finally sitting up to face Tina on the bed and folding his arms petulantly.

"You know why," Tina said, her tone suddenly becoming serious.

Blaine felt suddenly contrite. He could pass as a heterosexual man and for that he was grateful, but he could also pass as white, something he wasn't totally sure he liked. Blaine could hide who he was from the world, but Tina had no choice but to display her Chinese heritage for all to see. Most people just assumed that Blaine, like his father, was white; and that was half true. His father had been stationed on a naval base in the Philippines during the war and he became involved with a local woman. Blaine liked to think they were in love, but either way, they had ended up with Blaine. A few weeks after he was born, his mother died of pneumonia. He would never be sure if it was out of guilt or genuine love on his father's part, but he took Blaine home to America with him and the rest, as they say, is history.

When they moved to Ohio when Blaine was eight, they simply told the community that Mr. Anderson was a widower, and Blaine had been raised by a never ending revolving door of well meaning, Akron house wives until he was old enough to be home by himself. Mr. Anderson never spoke about Blaine's mother, but he also never said anything about the amount of time he spent with Tina, so Blaine never asked. It wasn't perfect, but he and his father got along well enough, even if sometimes they felt more like room mates than father and son.

"I...I'm sorry, Tina," Blaine said, squeezing her shoulder. "I shouldn't have said that. I want to try out, I really do, but you know my dad would never let me take the LCT all the way to the city. Even if it is during the summer."

Tina's gaze went from hurt to mischievous almost too quickly and Blaine was starting to get nervous, "who said he has to know?"

0000000000

"Is this a Boy Scouts thing? I thought you quit that years ago," Mr. Anderson asked. Blaine had just finished telling him his plans to go camping in Cuyahoga National Park with some of the guys from school. Blaine hated camping, but it was the most fool proof excuse he could think of on such short notice. Plus, his dad was always encouraging him to get some more 'manly' hobbies, so Blaine was counting on the extra money his dad would give him for admission into the camp ground to pay for his bus ticket. "I thought you hated camping."

"It's not a Scouts thing," Blaine replied quickly. "And it's not my favorite thing, but I haven't been since I was young and I figure it wouldn't hurt to try again."

Blaine's father just nodded, "that's the Anderson spirit. You can use the tent in the garage." With that, the two men went back to their TV dinners.

0000000000

"Come on, just one more time," Blaine begged Tina. "I need it to be perfect." When Blaine called to get the details of the audition, the woman on the phone told him that he needed to prepare one half of a duet to perform with one of the _Teen Talent_ kids that were already on the show. They needed someone who could work well with the existing cast. Blaine had recruited Tina to practice with him, "Just one more time and then I'll buy you a Coke. I promise."

Tina huffed, but pulled herself up again to stand beside Blaine, "Okay, fine, but this is really the last time."

In reality, Blaine made them run through the song three more times before the pair found themselves at the local pharmacy sipping out of glasses of coke, vanilla for Blaine and cherry for Tina, "and you're really sure that I'm not making a mistake picking a song that's almost a year old?"

Tina rolled her eyes for what seemed like the millionth time that day. She had pushed Blaine to audition in the first place, but she wasn't counting on him being such a nervous wreck, "I'm sure, Blaine," she sighed, "You can't go wrong with Nat King Cole and I can't imagine a song like 'Unforgettable' ever going out of style. It's so romantic!"

"It's too bad you have to sing it with the likes of me," Blaine whispered with a laugh, finally letting himself relax instead of focussing on the competition. "Although, I bet I know someone who wouldn't mind singing a romantic duet with you," Blaine said with a wink. "Last time I played ball with the guys, Mike wouldn't shut up about you."

Tina's face went a spectacular shade of fuchsia, "Blaine!" she stage whispered. "You didn't tell him anything, did you?" she asked frantically.

"Of course I didn't!" Blaine said. "What kind of best friend do you think I am?" he added. "I may have vehemently clarified that we were not going steady and that you were single, though."

Tine sniffed and put her nose in the air in mock offense, "you should be so lucky!" she said before they both dissolved into a fit of giggles.

0000000000

"Hummel Tires and Lube, this is Burt speaking," came a familiar voice through the receiver of Kurt's telephone.

"Dad!" Kurt said excitedly.

"Hey, kiddo," Burt responded, dropping his formal telephone voice when he realized it was his son. "It's good to hear from you. I miss you now that you're a big city boy."

"Dad!" Kurt said, drawing out the 'a' in protest. "You know I miss you, too. If it wasn't so much easier in terms of work, you know I would..."

"Stay here in Nowheresville, Ohio with your old man," Bur finished for him. "I know. I'm only teasing you."

"You know I'm serious when I say I miss you too, Dad," Kurt replied.

"Of course I do, Kiddo." Kurt had been the lead singer on _Teen Talent_ since he was sixteen, but when he turned eighteen he decided that it was time for him to strike out on his own and move into Cleveland to live and work on his own. He missed his dad every day, but he couldn't deny how much he loved getting out of the rural trap that he grew up in. It was no New York, but at least Cleveland was something.

The two men chatted for about a half an hour. Burt told Kurt about the shop and how he and Carole were planning to clean out the garage that weekend. Kurt told Burt about his new production position on his show and that they were having auditions for new cast members in just a few short days.

"And...you're, you know...being careful?" Burt asked after a particularly long and amusing anecdote about a show that Kurt had gone to see the previous weekend. "I know things are a little easier in the city and you're an adult. I can't stop you from doing what you want, but I worry about you. They're really cracking down these days."

Kurt sighed. He knew that there was truth to what his father was saying. Burt was one of the very few (but growing now that he was living in the city and worked in show business) people who knew the truth about his sexuality. "I know, dad. I promise I'm being careful," Kurt replied. He knew it was risky to go to the bars and clubs where people like him could meet and be themselves. A lesbian bar he knew of had been raided just the other night, and he knew it was probably only a matter of time before the places he frequented became a police target, but stifling himself completely seemed like a fate worse than possible arrest and he wasn't lying, he was careful. He only went to the most secret and tame of the bars and he never let himself stay too late and he never took anyone home.

"Just...just keep it that way, okay Kiddo?" Burt said, anxiety still in his voice. "I should probably get back to work, but I love you and thank you very much for calling."

"Love you, too, dad. I'll talk to you again in a few days."

0000000000

Blaine walked out onto the stage as confidently as possible. He felt good about this. The bus ride had gone smoothly and he wasn't feeling too nervous. Well, he wasn't until he turned towards the audience and came face to face with none other than Kurt Hummel, _the _Kurt Hummel. His palms started to sweat and he could feel a lump forming in his throat.

"Blaine Anderson?" he asked, glancing down at the forms he had filled out earlier.

_Oh my god he just said my name_. "Um...yeah...yes...that's me!" Blaine squeaked. He took a shaky calming breath. "Yes, my name is Blaine and I'm going to be singing "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole."

"A personal favorite," Kurt responded. "You're going to be singing with Sharon. She's the girl you'll be replacing if you get the part." Blaine simply nodded and handed on copy of sheet music to the piano player and one copy to Sharon. "Whenever you're ready."

When the intro to the song began, Blaine was instantly grateful that he was singing and not giving a soliloquy or something. Music had always been that one special place for Blaine where he could forget everything that was bothering him and just focus on singing his heart out.

They were about half way through the first verse, and things were going to pretty great if Blaine was being honest, but what happened next happened so fast, if the evidence wasn't right in front of him, Blaine's not sure he would have believed it. Right as they were about to swell into the first chorus, Sharon stumbled a few feet away and proceeded to vomit her guts out off the side of the stage.

Blaine was horrified. The piano player abruptly stopped and all three judges were staring, open mouthed at the vomit and at the girl. He didn't know what to do. The showman in side of him was tempted to just keep singing, but the gentleman in him was telling him to go over and comfort the girl who was now crying her eyes out.

He was relieved from making that decision when one stage hand came out and led Sharon off of the stage and another came out to mop up the mess. "Is...is she going to be okay?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him and gave a light smile, "she'll be back and better than ever in about nine months." The two other men in the audience laughed as well and Blaine found himself relaxing at the beautiful sound of Kurt's tinkling laughter. "But, the show must go on," Kurt said, hoping out of his seat and making his way onto the stages. "Just pretend I'm a girl," Kurt said with a disarming wink.

"Wait..." Blaine started, his brain finally catching up with the situation, "I...I get to sing with _you?_" Blaine asked. He was in too much disbelief at his luck to temper his reaction into what might have been a more appropriate one. He was about to sing a romantic duet with Kurt Hummel. He could very well die tonight and he would be happy.

Kurt chuckled again, "that's right, kid," Kurt replied, even though Blaine was probably only a year or two younger than him. "This is going to be a real test of your acting. We already know you can sing. If you can pull this one off, we may very well have a new cast member."

0000000000

"Don't look so worried. Between you and me, you're definitely a front runner for that part," Blaine's head snapped up from where he was sitting on a park bench near the studio, and came face to face with Kurt Hummel for the second time that day. And frankly, it wasn't doing anything to calm Blaine's nerves. He had the time of his life singing with Kurt. Regardless of whether or not he got cast, it was a dream come true. He wasn't nervous about the audition. He was nervous about the fact that he now had an entire night to kill in a city he'd never been to before. He really should have thought this through. "Let me take a wild guess. Your parents don't know you're here and now that your audition is over, you have no idea where to go."

Blaine's eyes widened and his leg finally stopped hopping up and down, "How...?"

Kurt put his hand up and took a seat next to Blaine on the bench, "because a few years ago, kid, that was my story, too. Where are you from anyway?"

Blaine raised his head and finally made eye contact with Kurt. He was even more beautiful in person. Pictures couldn't quite capture the sparkle of his blue eyes or the light smattering of freckles across his nose. Blaine abruptly looked down again and prayed that Kurt hadn't caught him staring, "I'm from Akron. I live with my Dad and he thinks I'm on a camping trip with some friends."

"Forgive me," Kurt said, quirking one of his eyebrows, "but you don't seem like the camping type to me...or maybe you just like a different kind of camping."

Blaine's head shot up again, "what...what do you mean?" he asked gulping in a way that he was sure must be audible from space.

Kurt hadn't been lying to his dad, he was always careful, but people like him had to get used to a certain amount of risk in order to find each other, and if the way Blaine was singing with him earlier was any indication, Kurt didn't think this was much of a risk at all, "I mean, Blaine," Kurt said, scooting a little closer to the shorter man on the bench so that he could speak more quietly, "that I saw the way you sang with Sharon and I saw the way you sing with me, and I think we have more in common than just singing and dancing. I'd like to take you out tonight and give you something to do...you know, show you around Cleveland just in case you do get the job. I promise I'll get you back to Akron safe and sound in the morning."

**If you guys are interested in more, just let me know and I'll see what I can do!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so I don't think this is going to be a full on WIP, but I do want to add snippets in this verse here and there. So, if you're interested in the installments, they'll be posted here.**

Blaine reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet, "here let me pay you back," he insisted, pulling out a crisp dollar bill.

"Forget about it dummy. It's on me," Kurt replied, smoothly pushing the other boys hand away. The two had walked the quarter mile to the diner and Kurt had gone up to the counter and ordered two burgers and fries and two cokes. They were now sitting in a booth all the way in the back of the restaurant. "And besides, a gentleman never lets his date pay."

Blaine's face turned a violent shade of red. After a little coaxing and a lot of fumbled conversation, Blaine and Kurt had fully understood each other. Or more like it, Blaine finally understood Kurt and Blaine found himself on his first official date...or at least one that counted.

"Are you saying I'm not a gentleman?" Blaine asked, surprising himself with his flirty tone.

Kurt laughed lightly, that same beautiful laugh that Blaine had swooned over for years, "of course not, but I asked you. Next time, you can pay," Kurt added with a wink that made Blaine blush even further. He didn't even think that was possible.

Blaine was too awe struck to touch the last comment with a ten foot poll so instead he changed the subject, "aren't you ever worried that you'll get, you know, caught?" Blaine asked timidly before taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

Kurt chewed thoughtfully and took a swig from his coke, "the simple answer is: yes," he replied, "but at some point I decided that the fear was worth the ability to live with a certain amount of honesty. I'm not going to run around shouting it from the roof tops, but if I meet a cute guy, and I'm fairly confident that they swing my way, I go for it. I haven't been wrong yet, but I'm just hoping there comes a day when I can stop looking."

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked.

"I mean that one day, I hope I find a man that I can spend the rest of my life with. Then I can stop looking," Kurt said with a shrug of his shoulders. "That's what everyone wants, right—to find someone they love that they can spend the rest of their life with?"

Blaine looked up at Kurt as if he was really seeing him for the first time, "I'd never really thought about it that way," he said simply. "I always just assumed that I would have to suck it up one day, find a girl that I liked well enough, and settle down. The idea of settling down with a man just never occurred to me. Wouldn't people realize?"

Kurt shrugged again, "maybe, but we would just have to pretend to be bachelor room mates," Kurt looked back at Blaine, a sad look in his eyes, "the thought of living a life without love is worse to me than any jail cell or insane asylum they could throw me in," Kurt said seriously. "I guess...I guess I'm just a silly romantic," Kurt said. A small blush appeared on his face, making him appear vulnerable for the first time that afternoon.

"It's not silly," Blaine replied immediately. He slipped his leg between Kurt's under the table. "I think it's beautiful."

0000000000

"Here," Kurt said, tucking a purple carnation into Blaine's button hole. "You'll need this to get in," he added, attaching a matching flower to his own shirt.

"What is this place?" Blaine asked, staring up a flight of steep looking steps. He could hear rock and roll music coming from the top.

"It's a dance club," Kurt said, a mischievous look in his eye. "just trust me, okay?"

The funny thing was, after only one evening together, Blaine really felt like he did. Kurt led him up the stairs and used a complicated knocking pattenr on the door. A small hole at the top slid open and a pair of eyes inspected them. Blaine assumed they were checking for their flowers. Kurt was a celebrity after all. He must have access to some seriously exclusive clubs. Once the two of them were allowed inside, however, Blaine realized that it was an exclusive club, but not for celebrities, for people like them...for homosexuals.

"Wow," Blaine said, eyes wide as he took in his surroundings. All around their were couples and groups, all wearing matching carnations, and dancing happily to the music. It looked just like the sock hops that he went to at home, with one difference, there was not on woman in site.

Kurt smiled and curled his arm around Blaine's waist, "welcome to Sandy's, Blaine." Blaine felt his neck getting warm. He had been on a few dates before, but they had always been with girls, and none of them made him feel even a quarter of what Kurt was making him feel with an arm around him and his lips close to his ear to be heard over the music. "May I have this dance?"

Blaine smiled from ear to ear, "yes, yes you may."

**:D**


End file.
